Brake beam safety support



Dec. 13, 1932. s, HART 1,890,989

BRAKE BEAM SAFETY SUPPORT Filed June 5, 1931 p 9 flitorney Patented Dec. 13, v 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT orrice HARRY S. HART, F HARRINGTON, ILLINOIS BRAKE BEAM SAFETY surronr Application filed June 3, 19:21. Serial No. 541,748.

As is well known, it is customary to provide railway car trucks with means for supporting the brake beams to prevent them from falling upon the trackin case they become detached, thus causing serious wrecks while the train is in motion. An example of such structure is shown in' the patent to David Hindahl No. 1,791,621.

My invention has for its object to provide a support of this kind, simple in structure,

with a minimum number of parts so connected to the spring plank as not to weaken the plank to any appreciable degree.-

Referring to the accompanying drawing, 1 Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section showing my invention. Figure 2 is an end elevation partly in section on the line 22 of Figure 1. Figure 3' is a plan view of the spring plank. Figures 4, 5, and 6 are details showing various forms of my support.

In the drawing which shows one embodi- I ment of my invention, A is the spring plank composed as is, usual, of a channel section having the web portion a as a bottom memher and the flange portions a forming the side members. At a point approximately midway between the flange portions and a little to one side of the transverse center line of the spring plank is cut a longitudinal slot a so as to be located directly above the bottom connection of the brake. mechanism; this bottom connection being indicated by the ref 1 erence letter C. The longitudinal slot a"., in the embodiment herein described, extends substantially parallel with the flange members a. This slot receives a supporting loop member B. The member B comprises a downwardly extending loop portion b, .which is dropped into the slot from above and is of a size to fit the slot in the spring plank. -The upper extremities of the side portions of this loop thus extend, upwardly through the slot at each end thereof and are formed "with flanges which overlap the upper surface of the spring plank at the edgesof the slot when the that I have provided a safety support for loop is in position. These flanges are indicated generally by the letter 6 and may take any form adapted to give proper support in the slot to the loop member to prevent any accidental dislodgment thereof. Figures 2 and 4 show these flanges at the upper ends of the loop as a bolt head ,shapewhich will overlap the sides and end of the slot- Figure 5 shows the upper ends'of the loop turnedoutwardly and connected to the loop by inwardly turned curved portions 6, which will keep the upper end of the loop portion out of contact with the edges of the slot when the loop is in operative position. Figure 6 shows a loop member having the flange portions flat tenedso as to give an overlapping support to the loop member at the ends of the slot.

From the above description it will be seen that when mysupporting member is placed in position in the slot 'in the spring plank and the connecting bottom connection 0 passed through the loop member, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, this bottom connection has in addition to its normal function, that of a supporting member. g This is because the bottom connection C is prevented from falling by the loop member, and so will act to support the brake beams as well as all the brake beam parts. I I

It will beseen from the above description brake beams, simple in construction, easy of application, with a minimum weakening ofv the spring plank and one which forms a positive secure support which transmits the strains placed upon it directly to the spring planks, without the use of rivets or other securing means. While I have described one embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that I intend to include such changes and modifications therein as fall within thescope of theappended claim.

Havingnow. described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent v 2 i,s9o,9se

' A brake beam support comprising a spring plank having in its bottom member a longitudinally extending slot, a loop member loosely mounted in said slot and depending below said slot, said 100p member having side portions extending upwardly through the slot at each end thereof, said side portions being provided at their tops with flange members resting on the upper face of the spring plank adjacent to the slot ends.

HARRY S. HART. 

